Thinking Small: The Long, Strange Trip of the Volkswagen Beetle

by Andrea Hiott

Sometimes achieving big things requires the ability to think small. This simple concept was the driving force that propelled the Volkswagen Beetle to become an avatar of American-style freedom, a household brand, and a global icon. The VW Bug inspired the ad men of Madison Avenue, beguiled Woodstock Nation, and has recently been re-imagined for the hipster generation. And while today it is surely one of the most recognizable cars in the world, few of us know the compelling details of this car’s story. In Thinking Small, journalist and cultural historian Andrea Hiott retraces the improbable journey of this little car that changed the world. Andrea Hiott’s wide-ranging narrative stretches from the factory floors of Weimar Germany to the executive suites of today’s automotive innovators, showing how a succession of artists and engineers shepherded the Beetle to market through periods of privation and war, reconstruction and recovery. Henry Ford’s Model T may have revolutionized the American auto industry, but for years Europe remained a place where only the elite drove cars. That all changed with the advent of the Volkswagen, the product of a Nazi initiative to bring driving to the masses. But Hitler’s concept of “the people’s car” would soon take on new meaning. As Germany rebuilt from the rubble of World War II, a whole generation succumbed to the charms of the world’s most huggable automobile. Indeed, the story of the Volkswagen is a story about people, and Hiott introduces us to the men who believed in it, built it, and sold Ferdinand Porsche, the visionary Austrian automobile designer whose futuristic dream of an affordable family vehicle was fatally compromised by his patron Adolf Hitler’s monomaniacal drive toward war; Heinrich Nordhoff, the forward-thinking German industrialist whose management innovations made mass production of the Beetle a reality; and Bill Bernbach, the Jewish American advertising executive whose team of Madison Avenue mavericks dreamed up the legendary ad campaign that transformed the quintessential German compact into an outsize worldwide phenomenon. Thinking Small is the remarkable story of an automobile and an idea. Hatched in an age of darkness, the Beetle emerged into the light of a new era as a symbol of individuality and personal mobility—a triumph not of the will but of the imagination.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Business, Pop Culture, Cars, Transport

512 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Paul Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent book on the history of the Volkswagen Beetle! Andrea Hiott did an exceptional job in the telling of the story, taking what could have been a very dry subject and making it an accessible and enjoyable read.

There were so many opportunities for this little car to fall by the wayside, but thanks to a few determined people, the Beetle not only succeeded, but Volkswagen built over 22 million of these original Beetles, keeping the same Porsche designed body over it's entire 65-year run. This is the car that launched Volskwagen and helped propel it to become the 2nd largest automobile company in the world.

I liked very much the way Hiott structured the book. One could say that she went off on several tangents in telling the story of the Beetle, but everything eventually tied into the story of the car and I was able to learn a great deal beyond the history of the car itself. I was able to increase my knowledge of the great depression, WWII, the "Mad Men" of advertising, and about several other significant auto companies and designers of the time. Hiott tells the truly incredible story of the people and events that contributed to the success of this little car and also how this little car gave back to the people and the events that surrounded it.

This is a review of an ARC, First-Reads selection.

[Kelly Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. I have never bothered to think about what steps go into creating any product, but even less so with something as large as a car. I learned a little about Ford in school, and read a few articles when Oldsmobile bit the dust, but never have I followed a car through its conception to its spot in history.

The irony of the vehicle being a concept of the Nazi regime to the fact that a Jewish Adman would begin its meteoric rise caught me totally by surprise. Yet I new that the name translated to Peoples Wagon.

I don't believe that any vehicle will ever match the life story of the Beetle. Even the love and devotion to the 57 chevy will never hold a candle to that of the beloved beetle.

[Ana Novkovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volkswagens are seriously my favorite cars.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an ARC as a GoodReads giveaway. Very interesting reading, mostly focused on VW's earlier years - 1930s and '40s. Lots of individuals from various spheres of the Beetle's story are profiled, and it makes for a relatable history. One problem I had with the personal profile approach was that nearly everyone is introduced early in the book, including people who don't actually tie into the Beetle history until fairly late in the book. Keeping the jumble of names and backgrounds straight is a little challenging.

I would have liked a little more coverage of the '60s-'70s heyday of the Beetle, maybe because that's how I remember it best. And my husband, a Beetle fan who is now also reading the book, would have liked more technical information about the car's development. But overall, we both found it fascinating.

[Wingedbeaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would think that a book about a car could be interesting? It can when the book is less about the car and more about the circumstances that surrounded it's development and rise to popularity. I'm not sure there is a car that has had a more interesting life then the Volkswagen Beetle and this book perfectly captures everything that makes it so extraordinary. This book is as much about the build up to World War II, the economic rise of Germany after the war, and the creation of advertisement industry in America as it is about a car. Hiott does a great job weaving all these events together and relating them back to the rise of one of the most recognizable cars in the world. The book is an informative, easy read that is hard to put down.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrea Hoitt tracks the long, sometimes troubled, yet nevertheless interesting history of one of the most iconic cars in the world. While never known for top of the line luxury the VW bug was a revolutionary car that spurred transportation in every country it went to. From its cheap and affordable frame to its unheard of gas mileage at the time to the ease of repair that left many owners able to fix the car themselves the Bug would make its iconic mark on the world. Thinking Small tells the story from a multitude of angles but focuses on the cars turbulent beginning as a pet project of Adolf Hitler under the direction of the legendary Ferdinand Porsche. The Peoples Car developed in the town of Wolfsburg Germany was a dream of many men but became a reality when the British occupied the area following World War II and began to revitalize the plant with American techniques. The influence of Henry Ford has been felt throughout the history of the Beatle and would serve as in the inspiration when the Beatle surpassed the Model T in sales.
The author has done exhaustive research into the history of this car and does not just cover the technical and business details but paints the story in a social context looking at how the Bug influenced cultures wherever it went. There is a lot of time spent looking at the advertising campaign which redesigned Madison Avenue for its simplicity, honesty, and modern feel. The Think Small Campaign which launched the Bug into stardom in America would win multiple advertising awards and was done by a small upstart firm that had huge talent from the industry. Overall it is a very quick read packed full of information, interesting stories and tidbits about this iconic car. Well worth it for anyone interested in the Bug or just looking for an interesting story put together well.

[Cade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read! I was expecting something slightly different when i first picked it up, but I loved what it actually was. Very in-depth historical information presented in an ultimately readable format.

[Aidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thinking Small: The Long, Strange Trip of the Volkswagen Beetle is a nonfiction novel about the creation and life of the Volkswagen Beetle. This book starts with the context of the beetle's creation as Germany's first economy-saving car for an already poor country. The book follows the life of the Beetle as it gained lots of hate but later served to be one of the most influential cars of the century. This book was different than other books I had previously read. Its main focus is mainly on the historical aspect of cars and their effect on the world today. That being said I surprisingly enjoyed this book although my knowledge isn't too keen when it comes to cars. For example, one section of the book includes a picture of American propaganda basically discouraging people from buying the Beetle. Little things such as that where people get so worked up over the production of a car are what kept me reading(and the fact that I had to write this report). Overall I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to anyone with somewhat of an interest in cars or history.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I am not a car person, I was enthralled reading about the design, manufacturing, and advertising of the Volkswagen Beetle. This highly recognized car transformed the automotive industry. Explores Ferdinand Porsche’s vision to build an affordable people’s car and the struggles he faced with corporations, war torn Germany, and exporting to the US. I would have preferred when story lines were introduced, an association of their future role was explained. Since I had very little background on the history, I had to wait until the final chapters to tie loose ends.

[Nada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com...

Thinking Small is a history book told as a story. It tells the story of a car we are all familiar with. A car that is now symbolic of so much. The Volkswagen Beetle. The "People's Car." What is interesting is that the story is told through the stories of the individuals that were instrumental in bringing this car about and then marketing it.

This book traces the history of the car from its origins in Nazi Germany during World War II to the present day. It traces the journey of the car to America and the influences that helped market the car in America. The book does not truly focus on the technical development of the car itself, but rather tells the story of the car in the context of history and people.

The book is long - over 450 pages - and detailed with a lot of information, some of which is relevant and some that appears as a tangent. The story is an interesting one but sometimes gets bogged down in that detail. I learned a lot, perhaps too much. I would have preferred a more succinct version.

***Reviewed for LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program***

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is amazing to think the history of this car runs from being a product of Nazi Germany to a symbol of a Love Child. Throw in some Porsche and the fact that it still is around today, and this should be a great book. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it spent far too much time on the early years. The stories of the 20's - 40's seem to drag on. The adoption as a symbol of the 60's is about 5 pages long... chapter 53... it was great, but I wanted to see a lot more like that. The parallel story of the advertising agency was also interesting, but I would have liked more about the creation of the whole ad campaign. Overall, I learned some new things, but often was skimming parts and trying to figure out when they would finally make the darn car!

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled on to this book while choosing the next book my husband and I would read together. He loves the VW Beetle and history and he says the book is great. I agree that the topic is extremely interesting. The story of the Beetle is wrapped in the history of the rise of the Nazi party; Hitler's undying support for a "people's car;" and the life story of Ferdinand Porshce. The second half of the book was my favorite part. The birth of a new type of advertising agency in New York coincided with the arrival of the VW on the international scene. A new team of "ad men" launched the Beetle in the United States. All in all the book was satisfying even though I thought it was a bit long winded in certain parts.

[Bernadette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating! So much more than the history of a car! I am neither a history-buff nor a car enthusiast, but I found the story of the VW Beetle a very moving one. I think I'll have to put Wolfsburg on my itinerary for my near-future trip to Germany. Secondary school teachers should consider reading this book - and using excerpts to flesh out studies of WWII, Germany, advertising, etc. I know it would have kept my attention more in the classroom!

*I won a copy of this book through Goodreads' First Reads program.

[Zach Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book as an ARC giveaway from Goodreads. When I first picked up this book, I admit I was very curious as to how interesting a 480 page book on the Volkswagen Beetle could really be. I'm glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised. This book is a wonderful history of not just the VW Beetle, but also the quirky designers and advertisers, a view of WWII Germany, and even an outline of Hitler's rise to power and his hand in the making of "the people's car." This book is perfect for fans of the Beetle and history buffs alike. I highly recommend this book!

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

It moves really fast. Speed is an element in the writing. The slow parts, you can look out the window (there are not many). It's a lot to take in. A lot of information and history and the stories and lives of men. It can be challenging. But it is amazing so much was able to combine into such a good and readable story. I don't know of any other books that are history, biography, cars, and all of it mashed together with really thought-provoking connections.

[Yvonne Stegall · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an amazing book. It's fun, and educational, looking at how this cool little car came about! Surely any fan of the "slug bug" will be thrilled to have the book in their collection! (received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads)

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. Not only does it have the history, it is a story inside a story. It is amazing how such a small idea can go such a long way.

[Lulu]

I won this book from the first reads giveaways and I am so excited to read it. Thanks.

[Sarah Ewald · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. What a great history book. Not only do you get the history of the VW Beetle, you learn about the world, Europe mostly, after WWI and leading up to WWII, and beyond. (things I probably learned in high school but hadn't thought about for a long time. LOL.) There was history of the automobile, from both sides of the Atlantic, and how German engineers learned from what Ford had done in Detroit, not only about design, but manufacturing, which up until then, each car was made, one at a time.

On the world history front, Hitler's story was told, and I was taken to how he manipulated people (speech timing, words, and gestures), and I could see the similarities in our infamous past president, Trump. (I think I had learned somewhere that he had read Mein Kampf, a frightening fact.)
From page 57: "Hitler was learning how to whip people up into a state of frenzy. As his biographer, Ian Kershaw would later write,' Crisis was Hitler's oxygen.'"
From page 163: (after his time in prison, and as he embarked upon another run towards power) "Hitler's power was his voice and the image he presented, and radio and print made it possible for Germans to hear that voice, to experience collective images and rallying cries. The blurring between real news and 'news as entertainment', and between public relations and persuasion and manipulation, made it a confusing time to form a true opinion." (Hmmm. Where could we have seen that in the past 4-5 years...?)

In any case, the idea of the VW Beetle came as Hitler was obsessed with developing a 'People's Car'. So obsessed that during the war, when battles raged on, he took the time to meet with Porsche regarding the development of the car.

I loved this book, not only for the car's history, and that of the ad firm, DDB, which pioneered a 'different' way of advertising not only of VW but other products, but learning of the cultural norms of the time. What a gem of a book.

[Angel Valenzuela · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is god awful. The books title implies that it’s about the Volkswagen Beetle or something remotely relating to it or its impact on the world and the market but it’s not about the VW at all. The VW is mentioned one time in the introduction and then it’s not mentioned once until page 100, and even after that it’s mentioned maybe 3 times in the next 100 pages. It’s literally a biography of Adolf Hitler, Ferdinand Porsche, and some others involved in German politics or Hitler’s/Ferdinand’s life. I have read maybe 20 automotive books to date and they all have more facts and backstory in single chapter or even single page blurbs about VW and contain a much more direct and precise explanation about how hitler related to the VW and Porsche. I know all that I want to know about (Adolph: that’s how the book spells his name multiple times) Hitler and if I wanted his biography and life story I would have gotten a book about Him. If you’re a car guy wanting to know about the Bug, DONT WASTE YOUR TIME.

[John Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story of how events in history shaped the beginning of the most recognizable automobile and how the plucky little car influenced history itself. It is the story of the people and their families involved in it's creation, of their struggles during war and uncertainties of the future to their eventual triumphs. But it is also the not so much known but surprising story of those that will change the marketing and advertising business forever trying to get the German car to be accepted in the post war years of America. It is the story of a cars's rocky origins and a generation that would fall in love with and make it their own. With the Beetle's subsequent influence on pop culture and the plethora of peoples and their involvement with this automobile over the lifetime of this longest produced model ever, it becomes easy to see why the Volkswagen Beetle is truly after all the People's Car. I thought this an excellent read!

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thinking small is one of the most interesting books I have read, this book covers one of history's most bought and famous little cars the VW beetle. In this book, the author goes over things that I didn't know about this fun little car covering how its creator Hitler and Ferdinand Porsche were trying to build a cheap nice car for their people but the world saw it as a "devil car". I really liked reading this book and learning about the history of the time as well. The author delivers the ideas and the topics in an easy way to understand allowing anyone to know what was going on. The book also goes over where the car went in history and what it meant. This book was a really fun read and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the VW logo or more about Germany at that time.

[Dan Dundon · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having owned three VW Bettles, I am ashamed to admit I knew relatively little about the creation of the car and its history. The author has provided an exhaustive look at the origins of the Bettle all the way back to Ferdinand Porsche and Adolph Hitler. At times the book seems to get lost a bit in the history of Germany and the United States rather than giving the reader the history of the car. However, the histories of the two countries are closely intertwined in the success of the automobile over the years, so I guess this can be excused.
The Bettle was the most reliable car I ever owned and that includes many Toyotas and Hondas. Now I know why.

[North Landesman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this with the small guy. The researched parts about the history of Volkswagen and Dr. Porsche were all outstanding. The history of VW as a Nazi car was unknown to me. I had no idea how much Hitler liked cars. The DDB stuff was good but seemed a bit jammed in there. The book would have gotten five stars, but Hoitt's tenancy to go on L-O-N-G digressions about Jack Kerouac and BIG IDEAS that had nothing to do with cars or advertising became tiresome in the end. The 6 year old gives it five stars.

[Michael Clifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books recants the long, twisted history of the Volkswagen Bug. The Beetle was devloped by Ferdinand Porsche (yea that guy) and predates WWII. Hitler adopted the car and deemed it the People's Car - hence the name Volks Wagen (people's car). And the people's car it became around the world. It really birthed only after WWII and was made in a bombed out factory in Wolfsburg. The original model lived (largely unchanged) from the late 1940s until the 1990s. The follow on model lived from the late 1990s until 2018 or so.

So if you like history, and cars - this is the book for you.

[Steven Yenzer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a mess. Hiott tries to tell two stories at once — the creation of the Volkswagen and the creation of the advertising that helped it become popular in the States. Unfortunately they are not very balanced in terms of content, and the latter doesn't get very interesting until the actual ads start to run. Also weird tone and editing issues, like a handful of odd exclamation points and poorly constructed sentences.

[Jak Krumholtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up on a whim to learn about a car and was surprised to find it one of the most informative reads on understanding German and US culture before, during and after WWII. Also I learned Hitler really, really loved cars, yet never learned to drive.

Much better than what I went in expecting, less car stuff and most of the 60's forward is just touched on. Unfortunately it was finished before the emissions scandal, I would have loved to read the author cover it also.

[Andrew Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not just about the Volkswagen Beetle, it's about the culture it came out of, both political and economic. This book covers the Porsche family and even Hitler's involvement with the People's Car. The author covers even how the car came to be a pop culture icon. Great read, well written even if you don't like cars you will enjoy this book.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved loved this book. I wish I could give it more stars. Born in 1960 I grew up wanting to own a VW Beetle. I did not get my first Beetle until my 50’s. On my 60th birthday I bought myself a 2012 Turbo Beetle - my current ride. This book was an amazing journey through history. I literally could not put it down. You do not have to be a Beetle fan to enjoy this read.

[Colleen Mertens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the history of the VW Beetle. It has incredible details on all the people, places, and events that influence the creation of this icon. It was interesting to read, even if you are not a car person.